Wimbledon, England – Former runner-up Tomas Berdych and former U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro were among those restoring order in the men's draw Thursday at Wimbledon.
Just one day after both the men's and women's draws were ravaged by upsets and injuries, the seventh-seeded Berdych and eighth-seeded del Potro managed to post second-round wins at the world's most prestigious tennis event.
The Czech Berdych, who reached the Wimbledon final in 2010, handled German Daniel Brands 7-6 (8-6), 6-4, 6-2, while the 6-foot-6 Argentine del Potro dismissed former American and now Canadian Jesse Levine 6-2, 7-6 (9-7), 6-3 on the famed grass at the All England Club.
Berdych has failed to get past the fourth round here since reaching the final three years ago, including an opening-round loss last year. The 2009 U.S. Open winner del Potro has never reached a Wimbledon quarterfinal, but was an Olympic bronze medal winner on the grass here at the All England Club last summer.
Wednesday's carnage included losses by seven-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer and two-time semifinalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and an injury withdrawal by 10th seed Marin Cilic.
Ninth-seeded nifty Frenchman Richard Gasquet got past Japan's Go Soeda 6-0, 6-3, 6-7 (7-9), 6-3, while 12th-seeded rising Japanese Kei Nishikori erased Argentine Leonardo Mayer 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 6-2 on Day 4.
Another seed was ousted on the men's side when Dutchman Igor Sijsling took out No. 17 Milos Raonic of Canada 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4). The big-serving match featured 17 aces by the winner and 22 more from the loser. Raonic was unable to break Sijsling, while the Dutchman notched two keys breaks in advancing.
Meanwhile, 23rd-seeded Italian Andreas Seppi was leading Michael Llodra 7-5 after one set when the quality left-handed Frenchman retired on Thursday and 27th-seeded South African Kevin Anderson took care of Poland's Michal Przysiezny 6-4, 7-6, 6-4.
Capable Aussie Bernard Tomic advanced by getting past former top-10 American James Blake 6-3, 6-4, 7-5, while Croat Ivan Dodig doused American Denis Kudla 6-1, 7-6 (7-4), 7-5 and Spanish veteran Feliciano Lopez moved past oft-injured Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-3, 5-1, retired. Tomic reached the Wimbledon quarters as an 18-year-old two years ago. Lopez was a grass-court champion in Eastbourne here in England last week.
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